Read on:

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Welcome to 1-3-1 Fridays, my weekly newsletter, where I reveal evidence-based strategies to get lean, strong, and create optimal health.

You'll receive:

• 1 reflection from me
• 3 ideas you can use
• 1 question for you

Let's dive in.

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What's new this week:

• ​She tried taking control of her autoimmune disease (results) | Karen Lee (Podcast)

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ONE REFLECTION FROM ME

If you could redo your last 10 years in fitness, would you?

Looking past on the past 15 years of lifting weights, I'd probably make some shifts earlier.

But mistakes are what create experience.

So I'm not sure if I would click 'delete' on all of my experiences.

In fact, many of the 'mistakes' I've made over the years are what allow me to make 10x better decisions today.

Knowledge alone changes nothing but what's between your ears.

So many people know 'what to do' in health and fitness.

Yet, their health and fitness remain virtually the same year after year.

I've fallen into the same pitfall countless times myself.

I admit it: diving into another book, course, newsletter (like this one), or article is my favorite rabbit hole.

But at the end of the day, if I'm not happy with my results, I need to focus on the fundamentals.

95% of the clients I've helped didn't master the basics of progressive overload and energy balance for multiple years.

If you haven't been lifting weights and challenging yourself, adding a new fitness 'tool' is likely to lead you to a dead end in a few months.

The principles of building muscle and dropping body fat have been well established for many decades.

Yet, as a species, we keep chasing the next 'shiny fitness tool'.

You don't need more tools.

You just need to apply the fundamentals.

Master the basics until you no longer make mistakes with them.

Become so good at the fundamentals that people start to wonder if you're a trainer or nutritionist (because your results will match what you say).

It's not hard to rise above the average person in health or fitness these days.

The bar of fitness is so low that you could lift weights and use a deficit and get in better shape than 80% of the population relatively quickly.

But most people who aren't self-motivated won't do this.

They'll wait till someone offers them another pill, powder, or potion to help solve their problems.

Yes, our modern world isn’t focused on health. Most industries don’t prioritize deep health for their employees or customers.

But that doesn't mean you should be passive.

Do the right things for health.

And the results will follow.

Lesson: Follow the herd and get the same results as the herd.

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3 IDEAS FOR YOU

I.

Zinc is another essential trace mineral. It's the second-most abundant mineral in our bodies, after iron.

It helps our immune system work, heals wounds, supports cell division, and lets us taste and smell.

Zinc helps the body in several ways. It builds protein, DNA, and blood. It also removes carbon dioxide. Zinc is also important during growth and reproduction.

Because we don’t store zinc, we need to consume it daily. The RDAs in the U.S. for the general population are 8 mg for women and 11 mg for men aged 19 and older.

Good sources of zinc include:

• Legumes, oatmeal, seeds, and nuts

Zinc could be the most powerful healing mineral; it's up there with Vitamin C.

II.

For something to be scientific, you need to track your progress.

Throwing darts blindfolded and missing the target is like how many people try to lose weight without tracking their data.

Here's what I mean: data is the information you use for what you're doing in your health & fitness experiments.

Which means you don't need to track calories forever.

But you do need accurate information for an extended period.

Your current habits are what landed you in this mess in the first place.

Changing habits takes time, but it will reshape who you are.

Tracking builds awareness.

That awareness is what you'll eventually use in different ways throughout your life.

After working with hundreds of clients worldwide for the past eight years, I’ve seen a clear difference.

Clients who take ownership of their data and tracking succeed in the long term.

III.

If you want to drop body fat while preserving muscle tissue, use this checklist:

(weight lifting checklist)

• Try lifting weights 3 to 4 days a week. Personally, I prefer 4 days for maintaining muscle, but 3 is the minimum you should do.
• Aim for 80% intensity per set
• Aim for 6-12 reps per set for hypertrophy. You might not build much muscle while losing fat, but some body recomposition can still occur. So, why not go for those bonus gains?
• Focus on frequency and consistency over perfection and complexity
• Track your workouts and focus on personal bests, even if they're not as frequent
• Limit your workouts to 6-8 exercises. Focus on volume and intensity as your key goals.

Less is more when you're doing the right things.

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ONE QUESTION FOR YOU

Is nutrition or exercise your focus for next week? Prioritize accordingly.

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1 QUOTE FROM OTHERS

I.

“If an egg is broken by an outside force, life ends. If broken by an inside force, life begins. Great things always begin from the inside.”

— Jim Kwik

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It's been a wet week.

Turned out to be a good thing.

I got more rest, which I needed.

Physical breaks are just as effective as diet breaks.

Get rest as needed.

As promised, your 1-3-1 Friday in less than 5 minutes.

Until next week,